Violet Barbara Cheyne

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Violet was born at Flemington Road on Thursday, 11 April 1889 at North Melbourne, Victoria. Violet was probably born at home. On her birth certificate, Violet has the fore-names of "Violet Barbara Cheyne" and the place where her father's details and the date and place of their marriage is blank (so her birth is listed under her mother's surname). However, Robert Cheyne is the informant and stated he was the father. It may be that this was due to two factors. Firstly, Robert may have felt that he was somehow still liable for repercussions due to his run-ins with the law when he was a teenager, and because he and Agnette were likely unmarried..¹ Violet was born shortly after her parent's emigration from New Zealand. She was the daughter of Robert Cheyne and Agnethe Evensdatter Sørum.

The family lived in three houses in quick succession; in 1891 they were firstly at 63 Flemington Road, North Melbourne; then at 16 Gardner street in Richmond, then at 10 James Street Fitzroy where they settled and stayed until the turn of the century. This was a 5 room house owned by a Henry Wernberg.^2,3,4,5 She presumably lived with her parents at at 116 Fitzroy Street in the Melbourne suburb of Fitzroy in July 1901.^6,7

Her mother died 19 July 1901 at the age of 51 at the approximate age of 50. Violet was aged 12 when this happened.⁶

Her brother Albert Robert Cheyne was arrested at his home at at 307 Young Street in the Melbourne suburb of Fitzroy for theft, and the house searched.^8,9 She presumably lived with her father at at 121 Kerr Street in the Melbourne suburb of Fitzroy in 1905 She probably lived in the same house until she was married.¹⁰

She may have attended the wedding of her sister in the marriage of Henry John Barrett and Lily Hawthorne Cheyne in 1906 at the Melbourne suburb of Fitzroy. Henry and Lily went on to have two known children together.¹¹

On 14 May 1907 her brother Arthur died at the approximate age of 19.

She married Albert Edward Oaten, a boot-last maker, son of Charles Henry Oaten and Catherine Carroll, in a Congregational Church ceremony at at the manse 101 Gore Street on Wednesday, 24 November 1909 at the Melbourne suburb of Fitzroy. She was 20 and her husband Albert was 21. Violet needed the consent of her father to marry; both Violet and Albert had lost their mothers in their early teens.. Brothers and sisters who may have attended include Lydia Amelia Oaten, Catherine Oaten, Charles Henry Oaten, Henry William Oaten, Margaret Mary Oaten, Lily Hawthorne Cheyne, Albert Robert Cheyne and Daisy Agnnete Cheyne. Violet and Albert went on to have four children together, three of whom lived to their adulthood.^12,13 At this time her occupation was given as a confectioner.¹²



Violet, aged 21 and Albert Edward Oaten, aged 22 became the parents of their first daughter Violet Agnette Oaten on Saturday, 18 June 1910 at the Melbourne suburb of Fitzroy.¹⁴ She presumably lived with her spouse Albert at at 14 Fergie Street in the Melbourne suburb of North Fitzroy in 1911.¹⁵ Violet Barbara Cheyne was recorded as engaged in homeduties in 1912.¹⁶ She presumably lived with her spouse Albert at at 868 Nicholson Street in the Melbourne suburb of North Fitzroy in 1913.¹⁷

Her father died 1 March 1913 at the approximate age of 60.. Violet was aged 23 when this happened. She presumably lived with her spouse Albert at at 15 Coleman street in the Melbourne suburb of North Fitzroy in May 1913. They were to stay in this house for another four years.¹⁸

Violet, aged 24 and Albert Edward Oaten, aged 25 became the parents of Mavis Lily Oaten on Thursday, 1 May 1913 at North Fitzroy.^18,19 Violet was photographed on Saturday, 7 February 1914.

Her husband Albert died 2 May 1919 at the age of 31 at the approximate age of 31, leaving her a widow at age 30. He died of influenza during the epidemic.

In another cruel blow, the fourth death in 18 years, their other brother Albert died at the age of 33 on Saturday, 3 May 1919. Violet was 30 when this happened.

A year after Albert's death, his wife Violet published a memorial in the paper:





For the next 5 years, Violet and her children moved addresses a number of times. In 1924 she was living at 162 Queens Parade in North Fitzroy, then seven years later was at 3 Groom Street.^21,22 She was a boxmaker in 1924.²¹ She was recorded as engaged in homeduties, and further records have her doing this as well in 1931.²²

Violet, as the mother of the bride, attended the wedding of Mavis and Hubert Nicholson, a radio engineer, in a Church of England ceremony at All Saints on Saturday, 17 February 1934 at the Melbourne suburb of Kooyong. Mavis was 20 and her husband Hubert was 24. Mavis married with the consent of her mother.. Others who attended include, Louise Augusta Fookes as mother of the groom and. Aunts, uncles and grandparents who may have attended include Charles Henry Oaten, Albert Henry Fooks, Winifred Amelia Oaten, Alice Eleanor Mary Oaten, Margaret Mary Oaten, Henry William Oaten, Charles Henry Oaten, Lydia Amelia Oaten, Lily Hawthorne Cheyne and Daisy Agnnete Cheyne. They went on to have some eight children together, only two of whom reached adulthood.^23,24

Five years after that she was living at 68 Riversdale Road Glenferrie, then at 39 Currajong Avenue Camberwell in 1939.^25,26

Violet, as the mother of the bride, may have attended the wedding of Violet and Harold John Neill, an ex-football player, at St. John's Church of England on Saturday, 20 January 1940 at the Melbourne suburb of Camberwell. Violet was 29 and her husband Harold was 32. The marriage was featured on the 'Weddings and Engagements' page of The Age and included a photo.. Frances Jordan as mother of the groom and William Neill as father of the groom. Aunts, uncles and grandparents who may have attended include Lydia Amelia Oaten, Charles Henry Oaten, Henry William Oaten, Margaret Mary Oaten, Alice Eleanor Mary Oaten, Winifred Amelia Oaten, Lily Hawthorne Cheyne and Daisy Agnnete Cheyne. Harold and Violet went on to have two children together.^27,28

Although there is no evidence that she attended the wedding, her may have son Charles married Margaret Alice Hume may have in a Church of England ceremony at All Saints on Saturday, 28 August 1943 at Kooyong. Margaret and Charles went on to have just one known children together.

Christmas for the extended family would take place at a different house each year, with each family bringing meals to contribute to the affair. There would be sing-a-longs of Christmas Carols and a big traditional roast of ham and turkey.²⁹ Violet lived in 1946 at at 106 Robinson Road in the Melbourne suburb of Hawthorn. It is recorded that she was living with her daughter-in-law. Her son apparently lived in the same street but at a different address.³⁰ Violet lived in 1949 at at 82 Rowe Street in the Melbourne suburb of Clifton Hill.³¹ Violet lived in 1949 at at 322 Queens Parade in the Melbourne suburb of Clifton Hill.³²

She married Thomas Charles Gosstray, son of Ben Gosstray and Mary Elizabeth Chinnock, in 1953 at the Melbourne suburb of Kew..³³ Violet and Thomas lived in 1954 at at 19 Rowe Street in the Melbourne suburb of Ivanhoe.³⁴³⁵ Violet (and presumably her spouse Thomas) lived in September 1962 at at 45 Henry Street in the Melbourne suburb of Northcote.³⁶

Violet died on 14 September 1962 at Northcote at age 73 of coronary sclerosis that she had for years that became an acute occlusion.^36,37 Her body was interred at Coburg Pine Ridge Cemetery on 17 September 1962 at the Melbourne suburb of Coburg. She is buried in the Church of England section in plot CO-COE*D***543 with her first husband, Albert, and her young son Albert..^35,38